Pipe joint



Jan. 20, 1948. w s 2,434,878

PIPE JOINT Filed May 8, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR Eat/721ml /V. lV/zz/A/va.

ATTORNEY Jan. 20, 1948.

B. N. WILLIAMS PIPE JOINT Filed May 8, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTOR 3f V7A/V/A A! Mam/ya Patented Jan. 20, 1948 LPIPE J 01185.

Benjamin N wi shfi enhamt 2X application-M91 8, 1945;;Serial1No.r592;Q4& 'Gl&ims- (01.28 23 {This invention relates to (readilyattachable means dorlefiecting. aiseal :against leakage in :pipe ioints', pipes,.or the--like..

One of the objects oiathis intvention zis 'tozprouide-v tan inexpensive; strong, and reliably acting :deuiceqthat-canibe igeadily applied to a pipe joint iorzthe il-ike to stop .a-ueak, such as .insfluid pipe zlines marrying liquids? tormgasesa under :pressures irequently' ;different {from -.atmosphenic pressure. 'Anothenobdectgis rt'oiprovideiaidevicei of the above- -mentionedccharacter in which. an effective seal mayzbeeasily and quickly efiiectedathroughoutvthe entire circumference .of :the rpipe or other con- ,duit, v.suchas throughoutsthe entire circumferenretial :extent of two mating flangesof' sfianged, boltedstogether vpipe connections. Another 0-b- -jecti is to provide (a. device :of- :the tabove-men- :tioned;;character1 that will be easy and i sim-pleto manipulate in application and that twill have an .adequateaangrzof flexibility of adaptation-so as 4:0 :meetan adequate range of'varying practical conditions-met with in practice; Another ob-- -ject' is to provicle a ;-pipe sealing device in which auflexibl'e band or tension member maybe deuwnclabl-ymade1to-encompass and clamp the pipe or like pa-rt and iunction with =-uniformity of ac'- tionthroughoutthe width of the band member. Another object iistzltc pnovide an-envelopingband, (sealing, or clampinganember and means m :tensioni-ng it so-construct'ed' and operating as *to :facilitate t-he eiiicient utilization of the-fu'll crosssection of the bancLmember afor mthstanding the applied tensioning stresses.

Another object -is to provide a construction of the hove-mentioned character that will be economical and "emcient to manufacture and capable qfeasepf assembly'and ease of application. Anotherobject is'to providea sealingydevice of the above-mentioned nature so constructed andoperating "as -to-have a highly emcient capacity per -unit of width of the band member employed in its construction. Another object is to provide a seal'ing device of the abovementioned kind which can :ibe easily and quickly adjustedpr setasito efiectivelengthsqas to facilitate "its application and insure its sealing action th oughout the desire peripheral extent. L other object is to provide .a sealing d vice of the above-mentioned in whichv the sealin o tension band can be rs adilyxepla edin relation turesio construction. com nations mt elements; and arra lsementse arts-as iwill be gxempluieu lt ll structure to {be -.l-1ereinaI-ie desc ibed and the scope of the application of which will rho-1K .dicated in the followin s aims- {the accompanying vomwins, in which is ,by Wa ro i lust ation. a ,-nr.e edembod ment MOI iniy-inuentionw Figi1isia topielevationshowing thesealinside mice-t ipii ied t the eyli nicalsu aoeiof mating, ,holtedetqseth r flang s-19f to pipe connection;

fi ls-- 2 -,.a iventioal vsectiona YiBW's on a. l rge is a eas ssen-aloug th rli e QZ Z Q JEis 11;;

t-E'is- ;3 i a -e evati n as seen alon the-lune 9f 2, co tain ma -ts :bei ieomitted;

its: 4 i a@ve tiwhseet onal MiEWi3 5 seen alon th l ne sfits. 2,;aud

glue .-,5 is a-lhorizontal- ;se t. ua iew a seen alo th line =-15-0 rfi m a reference characte s refe 2 0 s milar parts th oughout th s rera w ews {on th -swimw- Jug.

M yeirwentio 51s besi i lustrat d in connec on with effecti trope of a leak t e sasketed Joint of a iiiane ii'.r pltedatpsether m ne connece111Q :fi $1a zhencer referni to aFli s; :1 and 2 athe arts to ang {'3' may represent two such flan es --.c .amped to ther by ;screws: :or bolts ti,v :th fl n es n and zl presentin external cylindrical iacesor surfaces whichshou1d :be .-.substantially concentric, ibllt which-might be: more or glessz put of alignment; whensucha jointzbecomes defeciztive, gleakagemcoursat ioneior more: ipointsnin the circumferential line or region demarki-ng :the gcylindltioal fgaceiof one iflange 'irom ,the other, and such.;a ileak imamberassumed to be villustrative [of any deal: ain :a ground .pipe, conduit, itube, or the ilikeiwhich the device :of my'ginvention is adapted to c'loseoor seal. Difienent -.sizes'.of ipipes, conduits, iflanges, or ithe dike-of .=.course,1haue ditferent 'alengthsmofr circumference; and .the device .of my invention =.is' constructed/so .-'tha.-t' it may be set ito: any oneiof asubstantialrange of :lengths .of circumference so as to have a :Wi-de :adapt- ,abili-ty. El prefer :to employ :a suitably strong, flexible tension band :M- -of a suitable flexible strip or 'ba-nd steel of appropriate "width; as indicatedat -|4, and" thetwp ends of thebangl 1'4 are related, in amanner' later described, "to-"two coacting head frames generally indicated-by the v eie tence characters '15 and it. w th w ch th nc rth p ns also oact. on oiktbese ends. fi lerall iindicatedzby the referencecharaoter14 .hL-tetmithe tilted? end, one itiieiother and. s nerally indicated by the reference character M I term the free end; throughout the length of the band M, where it is desired to effect a seal of substantial peripheral extent or a seal throughout 360 degrees, the band 14 is lined on one face thereof with a suitable sealing or gasketing material of any suitable composition, of which rubber is a good illustration, and the lining, indicated at ll, in Fig. 2, is secured to the tension band Min any suitable way. Where the lining I7 is of rubber, either natural or synthetic, a secure junction between the parts l4 and I! may be effected in known manner, by vulcanization 4 tribute the imposed stresses more or less throughout the width of th band l4 and thus avoid overconcentration thereof, as at a single point; in any case, the composite portion 25-44% having its two parts secured together throughout all or substantial portions of their contacting areas of the band M, insures that any otherwise concentrated strains are adequately withstood and distributed throughout the transverse cross-section. 7 Thus, referring to Fig. 4, I provide a suitable number of holes 26illustrative1y two in number-in the laminated portion 2EiHl of the band or the like, and, in any case, the two parts may cording to the service it is to. perform, and, by

Hi, to receive the shanks 21 of headed studs '21, the shanks 2i being anchored or secured in any suitable way, as by riveting or heading over, as indicated at 21. In the base [8 of the fixed 3 head I' provide a corresponding number of way of illustration, it may be 1%" thick, ,with a steel band IA of about 16 gauge, whereby the band I4, when placed under substantial clamping tension about the pipe, can press the yielding lining l1 uniformly throughout its pipe-contact area into good conformation and sealing engagement therewith.

Toefiecz; appropriate sealing action, particularly where large-diametered pipes or substantial internal pipe pressures are to be dealt with, the mechanism of my invention makes possible the application of very substantial tensioning stress to the tension band [4, so that the pressure per unit area which the latter exerts upon the yielding lining I? to press the latter in good sealing engagement with the pipe surface or surfaces, is relatively high. For the fixed end [4 I provide a strong and preferably relatively quickly attachable or detachable connection to the head 15 and preferably construct that end also so as to be additionally held by the coaction of the movable head l6 with the relatively fixed head IS. The

head [5, which is preferably constructed so that it mayb readily cast and require little machining operations, comprises a base i8, preferably of the same width as the band H (see Figs. 2, A, and 5), and preferably the base 18 is curved,

as seen in Fig. 2, to give its underface iii a curvature of a radius that is about the mean of the range of pipe radii to which the device i intended to be applied. The base 18 carries a relatively heavy bearing block .I9- joined to it by lining ll toward the movable head I6, and, as bet- -ter shown in Fig, 2, the upstanding composite portion i .ll can be of substantial area.

The upper face of the band I l that underlies the base It! preferably has secured .to it a section of the same material of which the band 14 is made, being indicated at 25 in Fig. 2, and, where these parts are of metal, the part 25 may be secured to the part hi as by welding, brazing, or the like. This increased thickness at the fixed end of the tension band structure I preferably employ in order to avoid weakening of the band M, in effecting the anchorage thereof to the fixed frame head l5. This anchorage is preferably a readily detachable one, and a preferred form is better shown in Figs. 4 and, 5. This anchored -frame is preferably such as to substantially diskeyehole slots 28, the larger-diametered portions of which freely receive therethrough the heads 21 of the studs 21 and the narrow portions of which receive therein only the intermediate shanks 2'! of the studs, whereby the head 15 and the band structure l4--l| may be readily assembled or disassembled.

The parts are so proportioned, as is better shown in Fig. 2, that the upturned end portion l4 rests snugly against the front face 23 of the head [5 when the stud shanks 2'! rest in the seats formed in the narrower ends of the key-hole'slots.

The movable head [6 is also preferably constructed So that it may be readily cast as a unitary structure and not require material machining operations. It comprises a base 30 having an underface 38 of a curvature and general extent generally similar to that of the base 18 of the head l5, excepting that it is preferably wider, as is indicated in Figs. 1 and 3; preferably the upper face 30 of the base 30 is flat and substantially horizontal in order better to enact for purposes later described. Upstanding from the base 30 are two side walls or webs 3| and 32 internally spaced apart by the width of the band structure l4l1, so that an extreme end portion [4 of the free end M may restflatwise against the face 30 being entered in between the side webs 3i and 32 through a slot 33' (Figs. 2 and 3) formed in the front wall 34 of the head IS.

The front or right-hand end face of the base 30 (Figs. 2 and 3) is preferably of-substantial height so as to facilitate manual bending of the .composite band I4;|'l about the bottom, front, and top faces of the base 30, all as better shown in Fig. 2, and thus, also, to present toward the upstanding portion M -H of the fixed end of the composite band a commensurate area ofcomposite band by way of the portions Hi and H ,So much of theiree end 14* of the composite band M-l l is so bent into the relationship shown in Fig. 2 as will make the effective circumferential length of the tension and sealing band suitable, when placed under tension, for the particular diameter of pipe or pipe joint that is to be clamped or engaged, surplusage simply projecting freely to the left (in Figs-1 and 2) beyond the movable head l6; for this purpose vI prefer to apply indicia, diagrammatically indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 at 35, to the external face of the free end M of the band, suitably identified as to diameters, so that, using theend face 30 (Fig, 2) of. the base 30 as agauge maria the movable head it may be attached to the free end of the band structure at just the right point," according to whatever diameter of pipe is 'to beencompassed.

In between the side webs 31' and 32 of the head 16 is mounted a suitable means for clamping or a t-seems 5 anchoring the portion-of the band structure(overlyingithe fa-ce=30 ofthebase 30-. Such a means may comprise a cam "lock; generally indicated-Thy the reference character 36, -Whih may be-conistructed in the form of a bell-crank lever :having a-clamping portion 31 and an opcrating lever -38, pivotally mountedras iby ashaft or pin M -and supported at its: ends =in=the side webs l and '32. The clamping portion =31 preferably extends across the entire space ibetween theside walls-'31 and-3 Zsoas toengag-eithezbandstructure throughout iit's'entireiwidth, and' the .underfaee is preferably :oftsubstantiallldimension .inathe direction of the lengthiof .the Eband ,Structure; I-being. preterably- :tocthed', as atlttll,..so -ast'o obtain' 'a secure grip =uponland into the yieldable zliningulz'll of. the vband structurewwhichlisupwardly; exposed to-it,:as shownain Flig.2..

Flihe ctoothed:;face 40 neednotrbe curved andein the illustration, its rteeth :are shown as falling in substantially a list plane ;.:but, in any case,= it is preferably so related :totheaxis of -=the shaft- 39, about which it pivots, in. the .manner better ShQWn-in Fig. 12,50 that any pull..;thereon byL-the band,jstru cture;ti1ward therighttin Fig. 2 tends-to win .th lloeking device :35 in =cqunt r l kwi e directionlandathus. decreasesithe distance between the ;le ift= han5l portions of the clamping face All and-the f rame race :31, .thusto increasetthe :holdin or clemnineaction. (IIhe lever pa rt zit-serves a dl to mannallylmoye the. device -36 into 1 12m po tion after.comp1etine:.themendin of the tree end of the bang as ,above described, ahoi tetheiir mehasepar ial) With the parts :thus lfa-r,describedethus/assenrbledtosthezpart that is Ito-be vclamped, the heads i5 and '15 rareinow. drawn together to e-putthez,-tenlsi n element Ail-lof the band structure in :tension ahl thus to-cOm-Pressithe parts,includingihelirn his 1 that it envelope. and :to achievethis. action m rideaheguahzin nullbar i2 (Figs. 1,:2 .a d .atieneaees th headz ltatiits s desandwhi h, at ts rmicihqiht, v s p ovided Y with .a threaded hole g-$ 52939] with th threadedpartof ascrew all wh ch se ends throu h ;a. 1ar e slot or openin 3 4 in th front wall 3 4. (-;Eigs. 2 and 3.) ofthe head ir -11d .uhthreaied hair o which extends i eely .rqueh a bearin hole fl-extendin I centrall thr neh the hea in block of 'ltherframe l5.- i lhe iill bar 42 n efe ahly as floatin -en- .ses ent ith the h ad 5 and hi I may se 1 01 91151} hy p o d ng the si webs 1 and $32 withcoin ah e slot andAl h h s igs.- 2 and-3) are ofmate i ally greater yerticaldimensionthan that of the vpullbar 42 andare of ahorizontal di mens i0n .(Fig. 2 suitable. to accommo date the pullbar A2 relatively freely. The equal; ize har-fl hus hasa tab e d e of sel commodation in a verticalplane, and any suitable means maybe employed to hold it against material displacement so as, .in turn, to keep its j l'n*eai ie';1 hole 43' centered and'with its axis in the same vertical'axis with that of the bore 45' o1" the fixedf'rame [5. Thus, for examplethe equalizer hard? mayextend beyond the sides 3] and 3,2of the frame head J 6 where it is provided with suit.- .able holes to receive cotter pins 49 and 50' (see Bias, .1 and 3).

{line shank of'the screw 44' is provided with a collaril (Figs. 1' and zi of preferably substantial radial extent and preferably integrally formed therewith, thus providing a secure and substantiallylarge annular face to bear against the'flat end-i sect thebe rine ar 1 9 the iiram head 15, thus aiding in maintaining alignment of the parts when thescrewM isiunder substantlalitemsion. il he collarsSl has a shank-like extensiomli2 that terminates initwo coaxialishankaportionsyone i hi h, 53 :(see Fig. ,xis squareiintcrossesees tion, and thaotherofiwhich, 54;isflftslllfllllll01058isectiomthanethersquare:shank 5'3,and has secured at itszendcinia-ny suitable manner, aguitable hairs die-dike .-means, such as a two-wingedi-ha-ndle to :facilitate relatively rapi'd' manual turning tor the'screw 4'4. B1113, abefore the. handle r55tis at.- tached toathershank 54, theretisshppedrmtosthe latter aerelatively longs-handled wrench s56,:-better show-r1 2in.?Fig. -A; chairing a handle for leverzpart i56 anda ho-1e=:5 6 "the; geometry of which issuchtthat it readily receives :the. square shank-r53. iEor [example; vand asashownzintrFig. 4,;the:ho1e:6= :may he given eightre-entrant recess szlikenthezllll n 193. anoeight-pointed geometricefigllre, .so that-there are :two sets of fourccrnersor points which form, respectively, two squares eitherofwhich wilrtalge over the square shank "5:3, whereby the Wrench m y be disene edand re-enea ediinsclose Qua ters, forturning throughoutan available angular .rangeof aslittle as'121 /ade ees.

Accordin ly, the handle .55 may fi stthe -tnrhed by hand and "thus Quicker operatio o 'i' l a ts efiected. In putting the-hand st u ture unde tension, when the devi e is ins a led ahq amine or the li e, the win ed han le- 5.5vmey e-iis drin order t s eed ly d aw thelheads t wa d e ch other to the extent possible in tha tiwhyi hence th wren h 5.6 h c ,t-u. t ttha tim iusthan s loosely on the round shank;portionii l is engaged with t e q e shan 5: a d wit its greate leverage, the desired tension putintolthe tension d structure \1. Aided by suitably .;l'ow pitch of thread on the threaded pcrtion fofthe screwa d i the hole A3 o t qua zer cha A2,, .it s us poss bl tosnbie t th tpipeo other part enveloped by the band to very substantial force or comp e sion, and t us the y e d l in -m terial vI.'l-ill ustrativ,ely, of rubber or the like-can likewise be put under substantial compression-per inch area to insure tightness of engagement with t e ipe or pipe flan s (or thel kelandthusefiect security of seal against leaka e of fluid or liquid, pa ti ula ly when thelatteris vimiile pr ssure The cirawhar 42. in coact'ion with the mounting vof the screw in the fixed-[head J15, insures that the. two heads aremoved towardea. hfllther with their adjacent faces 23' and 32 always in substantial alignment with veaclrl other; particua y wh viewed in Fig. 1, so tha thereh one side of the tension band 14 is notgsubjected to reater tension than the other and so thatwhe e m re 1 2 911? a c ora e, l ke the headed studs and slots of Figs. .4 and 5, are employedeach will take its shareof the stress or'load; The capacity of the draw barn to shi t o fioat'i .vertical direct on, asseeni z ff s .2 and ,f.aei t tes self-accomm dation no h curved unde faces l8 and 30 of the two. heads 15 and 161120 substantial concentricity one with the other and, hence, to the cylindrical part toward which they are forced by the tension. in between the'ilower portions of the two adjacent faces 23 and132',-the engaged and. juxtaposed composlteportions H H and Il -l1, each of substantial area and with the yieldable or resilient lining portions thereof in engagement with each other, become tightly clamped and compressed; this action '1 can make to accomplish a number of advantageous effects. Thus, for example, these juxtaposed and contactingparts can thereby'be additionally anchored or secured, each composite portion of the band structure being thus additionally secured or anchored to its respective head structure, and in the clamping action both parts become fastened to the assembled heads I and It as a unit. The yieldability of the portions IF and H of the part I! of the band structure [4-H permits them to be compressed and, by their compressibility, allow leeway for continued drawing togetherof the two heads under the action of the screw 44. Moreover, the abovedescribed arrangement aids in applying the final steps or stages of tension to the tension band 14, the tensioning stresses being thereby applied in direct line with the curvature of the end portions M and W of the band M; in these actions the substantial vertical extent of engagement between the parts M' -l'l and Il -l4" (see Fig. 2) aids in relieving the screw arrangement and related parts from the entire burden of resisting material tilting, as viewed in Fig. 2, of one of the head structures relative to the other. The compression of the intermediate contacting parts I! and I1, moreover, effects what might be termed cold flow of their material downwardly, at the junction marked X in Fig. 2, so' as to seal over the joint between the two pipe flanges throughout that region thereof that directly underlies these two portions I! and H and'thus a complete 360-degree seal of the 360- degree joint or junction between the two flanges may be reliably effected.

Should the construction be removed from the pipe or other part to which it is applied, it may be used over again, and in such case, where necessary, ease of replacement of the tension band structure is provided for in that, upon adequate separation of the two heads l5 and I6, the fixed end H is readily disengaged from the head 2! and the locking device 36 easily moved in clockwise direction in Fig. 2 to release its grip on the free end of the tension band, so that the latter may be disengaged from the head It, and thus both heads freed for ready assembly thereto of a new band structure. Though I have described my invention in connection with sealing a leak in a fiange-to-fiange pipe connection where it is desirable to achieve a 360-degree sea], I wish it to be understood that my invention, unless otherwise limited by the claims, is to be understood as applicable to the repair of other types of leaks such as might be localized at points in the wall of. a pipe, in which case a complete 360-de-. gree seal is notneeded. In such case the tension band l4 may serve, if desired, only to com press a' suitable sealing or gasketing material, such as'rubber, 'overthe portion of the pipe that contains the leak, and such sealing material may, hence, be of a length less than 360 degrees in'peripheral extent; it may thus be applied as a patch, and in such case such a patch maybe put in position with or without the use, throughout its entire length, of a lining on the tension band [4, like the lining l'l.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided in. this invention a device in which the several objectshereinbefore noted, together with many thoroughly practical advantages, are successfully achieved. The device is of economical fabrication, is of wide adaptability, and-is handy and facile to .operate throughout the varying conditions of hard practical use.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as manychanges be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be'understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. Pipe sealing means comprising a tension band structure comprising a flexible metal band adapted to extend about the cylindrical part to be sealed and having yieldable means throughout a face thereof, two block-lik heads having adjacent substantially parallel front faces each making a substantial angle with the bottom face of its head, means securing the end portions of the band-structure respectively underlying the bottom faces of the heads and with respectively contiguous portions of the band structure extending upwardly into the space between said adjacent front faces and with the yieldable means of each brought into juxtaposition in said space, and means for drawing said two heads together to tension said metal band to press the yieldable means against the part to be sealed and to compress together the juxtaposed yieldable means in the space between said front faces and thereby cold-flow it radially inwardly against the underlying portion of the part to be sealed.

2. Pipe sealing means comprising a tension band structure comprising a flexible metal band having yieldable means throughout a face thereof for sealing engagement circumferentially of the part to be sealed, one end of said band structure having a portion bent substantially at right angles to extend radially outwardly from said part,

a head having a front face and a bottom face makingan angle of substantially degrees and seated in the angle at said one end of the band structure, said head and said end having means for securing them together, a companion head having a bottom face to overlie the outwardly exposed metal band near the other end of the band structure and a front face extending substantially at right angles thereto, said head having a longitudinally extending slot opening in the front face ata point substantially above the bottom face thereof whereby said other end of the band structure may be passed upwardly along said front face and inwardly into said slot and thereby juxtapos'e a portion of the band structure to said bent portion at the other end of the band structure, and means for drawing said two heads toward each other to tension the band structure about the part to be sealed and to exert a clamping action upon those portions thereof that are juxtaposed to each other between said front faces.

' 3. Pipe sealing means comprising a tension band structure comprising a flexible metal band having yieldable means throughout a face thereof for sealing engagement circumferentially of the part to be sealed, one end of said band structure having a portion bent substantially at right angles to extend radially outwardly from said part, a head having a front face and a bottom face making an angle of substantially 90 degrees and seated in the angle at said one end of the band structure, said headand said end having means for securing them together, a companion head having a bottom face to overlie the outwardly exposed metal band near the other end of the band structure and a front face extending substantially at right angles thereto, said head having a'longitudinally extending slot opening in the .irontface at a point substantially above the bottom face thereof whereby said other end of the band structure may be passed upwardly along :saiarront face aand jinwardly' into said slot and "thereby juxtapose :a' portion of the: band-555E116- seated in the angle at said one end of the band structure, said head and said end having means for securing them together, a companion head having a bottom face to overlie the outwardly exposed metal band near the other end of the band structure and a front face extending substantially at right angles thereto, said head having a longitudinally extending slot opening in the front face at a point substantially above the bottom face thereof whereby said other end of the band structure may be passed upwardly along said front face and inwardly into said slot and thereby juxtapose a portion of the band structure to said bent portion at the other end of the band structure, means coacting with said slot to clamp the band structure against a wall of the latter and responsive to pull on the band structure to increase the clamping action, and means for drawing said two heads toward one another to tension the band structure and to exert clamping pressure upon the portions of the latter in between said two front faces.

5. Pipe sealing means comprising a tension band structure comprising a flexible metal band having yieldable means throughout a face thereof for sealing engagement circumferentially of the part to be sealed, one end of said band structure having a portion bent substantially at right angles to extend radially outwardly from said part, a head having a front face and a bottom face making an angle of substantially 90 degrees and seated in the angle at said one end of the band structure, said head and said end having means for securing them together, a companion head Having a bottom face to overlie the outwardly exposed metal band near the other end of the band structure and a front face extending substantially at right angles thereto, said head having a longitudinally extending slot opening in the front face at a point substantially above the bottom face thereof whereby said other end of the band structure may be passed upwardly along said front face and inwardly into said slot and thereby juxtapose a portion of the band structure to said bent portion at the other end of the band structure, one of said heads having bearing means the axis of which extends in alignment with the center line of the other head, and a screw rotatably mounted and aligned by said bearing means, said second head having laterally spaced engaging parts and a transverse pull bar bridged across said engaging parts, said pull bar having means adjacent its center in threaded engagement with said screw whereby turning of the screw to tension the band structure so distributes the forces drawing the two heads together as to maintain substantial parallelism of said front faces and thereby also effect clamping action upon I0 thebandstructure portions in between sa-id two frontfaces.

6-; ,A' constructionas-claimedin'claim 1 inwhich the last-mentioned means comprises rotatable screw means provided with selectible manually operable torqueapplying means of which one has arg'r eater leverage than-the other for thereby completingthe final tensioningof the bandstructure.

:75. rA construction'as claimed inclaim 2 inwhich the means securing the first-mentioned end ofthe band-structure to the first-.mentioned head com- :prisesia quick-disconnectible means whereby to .e'ifect ready replacement of the band structure,

.8.-irconstructionasficlaimed inclaim'2 in-which said securing means comprises key-hole slot means" .in the bottom portion of the head and headed means secured to the metal portion of the band structure underlying the bottom face of said head whereby the band structure may be detached from the head upon movement relative to the latter in a direction to move the bent portion of that end of the band structure away from the front face of the head.

9. A construction as claimed in claim 2 in which the band structure bears a series of longitudinally spaced indicia on a face thereof relative to any one of which the second head may be initially positioned, according to the diameter of the part to be sealed, for corresponding initial assembly of the second head to its end of the band structure.

10. A construction as claimed in claim 2 in which said securing means comprises readily-interengageable parts respectively carried by said first head and its associated end portion of the band structure and including a metal reinforcement for that end portion of the band structure.

11. Pipe sealing means comprising tension band means to extend about the part to be sealed, a head having a bottom face adapted to overlie an end portion of said band means and a front face extending radially upwardly from said bottom face, said head and said end portion having coacting securing elements forming a quick-detachable connection therebetween at locations to provide an extreme end portion ofthe band means that extends radially outwardly along said front face, a head having a bottom face adapted to overlie the band means near the other end thereof and having a front face extending radially outwardly from the bottom face and into juxtaposition to the front face of said first head, there being a slot in said second head opening into the front face thereof at a location above the bottom face for receiving the extreme end portion of the other end of the band means and thereby present an intermediate portion overlying said front face between the bottom face and said slot and juxtaposed to the extreme end portion of the other end of the band means, and means operating upon said heads to tension the band means and to clamp said juxtaposed portions thereof between said two front faces.

12. Pipe sealing means as claimed in claim 11 in which said second head is provided with wedging means coacting with said slot in response to pull on the portion of the band means received in the slot to resist movement of said band portion outwardly of the slot. I

13. A readily-adjustable sealing means for pipe comprising, in combination, a tension band comprising a flexible metal band adapted to extend around a pipe to be sealed, a gasketing material lining layer bonded to the pipe-engaging inner surface of said metal band, a pair of tension blocks, the first of said blocks being secured to the outer face of said metal band near one end thereof, said block having an end face substantially perpendicular to the band-engaging face thereof, said metal band and lining layer extending outwardly along said end face, the second of said tension blocks having one face thereof lying against the outer face of said metal band near the other end thereof, said second block having an end face substantially perpendicular to the band-engaging face thereof, said metal band and lining layer extending outwardly along said end face and the free end thereof extending beyond said face, a clamp securing said free end to said second block, and screw means for drawing said blocks together with said end faces in parallel relation and said band ends extending between them, whereby 12 said tension band may be tightened about the pipe to be sealed with said lining layer pressed against saidpipe and the ends of said lining in face to face contact.

BENJAMIN N. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the o flle'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

